Orca recovery Task Force established

The Executive Order establishes a task force to coordinate with British Columbia, Oregon, California, Idaho, and Alaska in developing policy recommendations at the regional, state, and federal levels. The Governor asked the Puget Sound Partnership and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to team up in leading support for the task force, with assistance from the Office of Financial Management and the Governor’s Policy Office. At the Governor’s request, Stephanie Solien, vice chair of the Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council, will co-chair the task force, along with Thomas (Les) Purce, formerly president of Evergreen State College and mayor of Pocatello, Idaho. The Governor invited Task Force participation from members of the legislature; the Government of Canada; representatives from tribal, federal, local and other state governments; the private sector; and the non-profit sector. The Task Force also includes designees from WDFW, the Partnership, and many other state agencies.

Despite these protections, the population has fallen sharply over the past 20 years, from 98 in 1995 to 76 in 2018—a 22-percent decline. This represents the fewest Southern Resident orcas in more than three decades.

Three primary factors threaten the orcas: a lack of prey, principally Chinook salmon; toxic contaminants; and disturbance from vessel noise and traffic.

Recovery of orca depends on recovery of Chinook salmon

Chinook salmon comprise a large proportion of the diet of Southern Resident orcas. Reduced Chinook runs undermine the ability of the orcas to reproduce and recover. The Executive Order also aims to make prey more abundant for the orcas by creating healthier Chinook salmon runs.

Chinook salmon need a healthy and dependable environment in which to travel and reproduce, but are threatened by habitat loss, toxic pollutants (particularly those in stormwater runoff), streams blocked by development, predators, and newly arriving invasive fish. The loss of habitat and diminished water quality are key threats that led to the listing of Chinook salmon as a federally endangered species almost 20 years ago.

Executive Order requires immediate state agency action

The Executive Order details immediate action on the part of several state agencies, as summarized in the following table.